An investigation into the loss of sensitive medical and employment information of about 5,000 Canadians is likely months from completion.

But that loss has already sparked a second, much larger investigation into the loss of student loan information of 583,000 Canadians.

There’s no way of knowing for sure how long it will take for the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to finish either investigation, commissioner spokeswoman Anne-Marie Hayden said Tuesday.

But on average, investigations take seven months to complete, she said.

“Each investigation is different,” Hayden said.

To date, the commissioner has received more than 325 calls and about 80 official complaints about the loss of a USB stick at Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) that contained Social Insurance Numbers, medical records and compensation of about 5,000 people, Hayden said.

An employee of the department, which oversees Canada’s employment, training and pension programs, reported the stick was lost in November.

While reviewing that loss, HRSDC officials learned of a “subsequent serious loss of Canadians’ personal information,” the department said in a news release Friday.

An external hard drive containing personal information of 583,000 Canada Student Loans Program borrowers from 2000 to 2006 was lost from an HRSDC office in Gatineau, Que., the department said.

The information included student names, dates of birth, Social Insurance Numbers, addresses and student loan balances from recipients across the country.